Leaf flipper



Jan. 10, 1933. I R. M. RAYNOLDS 1,894,241

LEAF FLIPPER Filed Sept. 11, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 flrTO/BNEYS Jan. 10,1933. R, M, RAYN LDS 1,894,241

LEAF FLIPPER Filed Sept. 11, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR/ f8 lwj taqm rlvass fifroizivEys Patented Jan. 10, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICEREGINALD M. RAYNOLDS, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO MCMILLAN BOOKCOMPANY, OF SYRACUSE, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK LEAF FLIPPERApplication filed September 11, 1929.

This invention relates to a new and improved leaf flipper for use withloose-leaf binders particularly loose leaf binders of the type known assplit ring or arcuate prong binders and is a continuation in part of myco-pending application for a leaf flipper filed Oct. 13, 1928, SerialNo. 312,240.

In binders of the split ring or arcuate prong type, the loose leavesused in the 1g binder are provided with spaced apertures along one edgethrough which the rings or prongs extend, the main body of the sheetslying upon a cover hinged to the back member which carries the rings orprongs.

When the binder is opened, the leaves will be resting upon a cover withtheir inner edges adjacent the lower part of a ring or prong. I When thebinder is then closed, the leaves will be carried upwardly on a coverwhich will cause them to slide along the rings or prongs.

Due to the fact that there is considerable friction between the leavesand the rings 5 when the former are moved along the latter and due tothe fact that the loose leaves themselves are made of a comparativelydelicate thin paper, this movement of the leaves along the rings is aptto result in injury to 0 the leaves particularly the lower ones of aset.

For the purpose of supporting the leaves when they are moved on therings and also for the purpose ofso positioning the apertures in theleaves with reference to the rings that the friction between them may beminimized to the greatest possible degree, I have found that asupporting member slidably carried on the rings and interposed betweenthe sheets and a cover will to a considerable extent protect the leavesfrom injury during their movement on the rings.

In order to accomplish the desired result in the best way, thesupporting member or -1 flipper, as it is commonly called, is providedwith a means to position the leaves with re spect to the rings in such away that the rings are kept in approximately the central part of theapertures in the sheets.

The main object of my invention is to pro- Serial No. 391,925.

vide a flipper which may be manufactured economically but which, at thesame time, will be of such a design that it will act as a support forloose leaves and will also act as a M means for positioning the looseleaves with respect to the rings.

Other objects and advantages relate to the size, shape and arrangementof parts all as will more fully appear from the following descriptiontaken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 isa perspective view of the preferred form of my device.

Figure 2 is a plan view partially broken away of a binder in the openposition with two of my flippers in place and with loose leaves on oneof them, the rings of the binder being shown in section.

Figure 3 is a section on line 3-3 of Fig- I, A ure 2. 10

Figure 4 is a perspective view of a modified form of flipper.

Figure 5 is a section on line 55 of Figure 4.

Although my device may be used with 76 various types of loose leafbinders, for the purpose of explaining the construction and operation ofmy device, I have here shown it as being used in conjunction with aloose leaf binder of the so called split ring type which 80 comprises aback member 1 with opposed covers 2 and 3 hingedly connected to theopposite longitudinal edges thereof.

An arcuate sprin plate 4 is secured to the upper surface of back 1 as byrivets or other convenient means, none here being shown, spring plate 4having its opposite longitudinal edges return bent to form channels 5and 6.

A toggle plate 10 having affiXed thereto a plurality, in this case shownas five, of half-rings 11 is positioned on back member 1 with onelongitudinal edge in channel 5 of spring plate 4.

A second toggle plate 12 having aflixed thereto a plurality, in thiscase shown as five, of half-rings 13 is similarly positioned on backmember 1 with its outer longitudinal edge in channel 6 of spring plate4.

A plurality of double headed buttons 14,

one only being shown, is positioned between the inner longitudinal edgesof toggle plates and 12 with such edges between the heads of buttons 14.

The combined width of toggle plates 10 and 12 is slightly greater thanthe normal distance between channels 5 and 6 of spring plate 4 so thatwhen the longitudinal edges of to gle plates 10 and 12 are in a planebelow t e lane in which the outer longitudinal edges 0 such plates arepositioned, in which position the upper ends of half-rings 11 and 13will be in contact as may be seen from Figure 3, the parts will be heldin this position by the resiliency of spring plate 4.

When it is desired to raise the inner longitudinal edges of toggleplates 10 and 12 above the outer longitudinal edges of such plate inorder to se arate half-rings 11 and 13, such movement is permitted dueto the resiliency of s ring plate 4.

hen such movement has been completed, the parts will be yieldingly heldin their new position by the pressure of spring plate 4.

The downward movement of the inner longitudinal edges of toggle plates10 and 12 and the op osite upward movement of such plates is limited bythe buttons 14 which permit only alimited movement of the edges of togleplates 10 and 12 between the heads on the uttons 14.

A. curved cover plate 15 is positioned above toggle plates 10 and 12.Cover plate 15 has its longitudinal edges return bent so that they maybe sprung over the longitudinal edges of sprin plate 4 and cover plate15 securely held in t at position.

Cover plate 15 is provided with slots 16 and 17 to permit the movementtherein of halfrings 11 and 13 as the same are opened and closed, a slot16 being provided for each halfrin 11 and a slot 17 being provided foreach hal -ring 13.

The upper end of half-rings 13 are V- shaped in form so that they mayenter V- shaped slots in the upper ends of half-rings 11 when the upperends of the opposed rings are brought together, half-rings 11 and 13being so ositioned on toggle plates 10 and 12 respectively thathalf-rings 11 will register with the opposing half-rings 13 when the rinlgs are closed.

he preferred form of my device comprises a substantially rectangularbody portion 18 preferably made of fibre orv heavy cardboard. The bodyportion 18 is provided adjacent one longitudinal edge with a plurality,in this case shown as live, of spaced apertures 19 adapted to receivetherethrough half-rings 11 or half-rings 13.

Adjacent edge of apertures 19 are positioned stops 20 which are formedby cutting in the edge of body 18, tongues, and bending the same intoapproximately V-shaped form so that the inner ends of stops 20 will beapproximately at right-angles to body 18 to form stops against which theinner edges of loose leaves may abut when the body 18 and such looseleaves are in position on prongs 11 or 13.

The shaping of stops 20 in the manner just described will result in anotch 21 being formed in the edge of body member 18 opposite each of theapertures 19.

In Fig. 4, I have shown a modified form of flipper which comprises asubstantially rectangular body portion 22 having spaced apertures 23preferably oval in form.

In this embodiment of my invention, I do not form stops 24 thereinprovided from a portion of the body member 22, but I form such stopsindividually from other material.

These stops 21 are of an approximately inverted V-shaped form havingtheir opposite bottom ends return bent as erhaps may best be seen fromFigure 5 so t at the same may be clipped in position on body 22 with oneend gripping body 22 at the outer end of an aperture 23 and with theother en gripping the outside edge of body 22.

Although if desired, a stop 24 may be provided for each aperture 23, Ihave found that two only are required for effective results if the sameare in spaced relation and positioned as shown in Figure 4.

Operation In use it is desirable to use two of my devices, onecooperating with each of the covers of the binder and I have here shownin Figure 3, one of my devices in position on cover 2 with no looseleaves thereon and a second one of my devices in position on cover 3with a plurality of leaves 25 in position on the device.

The leaves 25 are provided with apertures 26 so positioned that theyregister with halfrings 11 or 13 and for a purpose hereinafter to bedescribed, it is desirable to have the distance between the centers ofapertures 26 and the longitudinal edge of the sheet greater than thedistance between stops 20 and the centers of apertures 19.

\Vhen the parts are in position shown in heavy lines in Figure 3 and thecover 3 is raised for the purpose of closing the binder, it will raisewith it the outer ed of body 18 which will cause the outer en s ofapertures 19 to contact with half-rings 13 and ride upwardly thereon,the inner end of body 18 moving outwardly along the upper surface ofcover plate 15 to guide body 18 in its upward movement.

The notches 21 are rovided so that when the lower edge of body 18 hasmoved outwardly to the inner face of half-rings 13, half-rings 13 willenter notches 21 to permit the lower end of body 18 to continue to moveoutwardly which will permit body 18 to continue its upward movement onhalfrings 13 without any appreciable friction between apertures 19 andhalf-rings 13.

In the modified form shown in Figure 41, I have provided notches 27, 28and 29 which answer the same purpose as do notches 21.

When cover 2 is raised, it will in a similar manner carry upwardly thebody 18 which is positioned thereon and in doing so will carry upwardlywith it any sheets 25 which may be positioned on its upper surface.

The relation of parts is such that when the binder is in the openedposition the inner longitudinal edges of the sheets 25 will rest againstthe stops 20 on body 18 and inasmuch as the distance between the innerlongitudinal edges of sheets 25 and the centers of apertures 26 isgreater than the distance between the stops 20 and the centers ofapertures 19, the apertures 26 in sheets 25 will be held in such a.position that the outer edges of apertures 26 will be held in spacedrelation to the outer surfaces of half-rings 13 and there will be notendency for sheets 25 to bind on halfrings 13 during the initial upwardmovement of such sheets and thereafter throughout their travel.

In Figure 3, I have shown in heavy lines the binder in the open positionwith sheets 25 on a body 18 and I have shown by dotted lines the sameparts in the partially closed position.

It will be understood that the material from which my flipper isconstructed and the material from which stops 24 are constructed may bevaried to a considerable extent and it will also be understood that thesize, number and relative position of the apertures 19 and 23 and alsothe height and relative position of the stops 20 and 2& may be varied asdesired to adapt my device so that it may be used with different typesof binders, for although I have shown and described a specific structureand form of part as an exemplification of an embodiment of my invention,I do not desire to restrict myself to the exact size, shape or relationof parts as various changes may be made within the scope of the appendedclaims.

I claim:

1. In a device of the class described, a plate having a plurality ofspaced apertures with their axes on a line parallel with one edge of theplate, such edge having a plurality of spaced notches in opposedrelation to the apertures, and stops positioned between the notches andadjacent apertures.

2. In a device of the class described, a plate having a plurality ofspaced apertures with their axes on a line parallel with one edge of theplate, a plurality of struck-up portions of the edge of the plateforming a plurality of stops and leaving a plurality of notches in theedge of the plate in opposed relation to the apertures.

3. In a device of the class described, a plate having a plurality ofspaced apertures adjacent one edge of the plate and having a pluralityof spaced notches in such edge in opposed relation to the apertures, anda plurality of spaced vertically extending stops adjacent such edge ofthe plate.

4. In a device of the class described, a plate having a plurality ofspaced apertures adjacent one edge of the plate, a plurality ofstruck-up portions on such edge of the plate to form a plurality ofspaced vertically extending stops, said plate having a plurality ofspaced notches in such edge of the plate in opposed relation to theapertures.

5. In a device of the class described, a plate having a plurality ofspaced apertures adj acent one edge and having a plurality of spacednotches in such edge in opposed relation to the apertures, and outwardlyextending stops positioned between the notches and the apertures.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 5th day ofSeptember, 1929.

REGINALD M. RAYNOLDS.

